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Jonathan Frewin

Latest from Jonathan Frewin

  • Mar 2, 2021

    An alert on the rise of cryptocurrencies

    "That's what's changed this time — time and the quality of the investors," Jordi Visser, of Weiss Multi-Strategy Advisers, says about Bitcoin's development.
    Ina Fassbender/AFP/Getty Images

    New York Attorney General Letitia James is warning that the hypersonic rise of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin has brought more crooks into the mix. Plus, high demand for manufactured goods is starting to create bottlenecks in production. And, funeral homes under pressure in a pandemic that has killed more than half a million people in the U.S. alone.

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  • Mar 1, 2021

    Back to the future, in China

    "Hi Mom," a sentimental comedy, has rapidly become one of the most popular films of all time in China.
    Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images

    “Hi, Mom” is a box office hit in China, where domestic films are dominating right now. This one is being compared to “Back to the Future.” Plus, a different vibe on the stock market to start this week, compared to last. A rally is picking up steam now. And, the use of blockchain in Britain’s national COVID vaccine program.

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  • Mar 1, 2021

    Tech demand boosts Asia’s factories, but less so in China

    During the pandemic, there's been an increase in demand for laptops, phones, and games consoles.
    Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images

    Japanese factories reached their highest output level since 2018, boosted by tech component production and demand for consumer electronics. So why is expansion in China slowing? Plus, in India, a newly formed political party is pledging to pay salaries for housework.

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  • Mar 1, 2021

    The science of “Zoom fatigue”

    The science of “Zoom fatigue”
    Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

    There’s fresh, peer-reviewed research out of Stanford that “Zoom fatigue” is a real thing. Plus, Senate Democrats are reportedly dropping their Plan B for raising the minimum wage as part of a new COVID relief package. And, former President Trump’s role as a political fundraiser remains strong.

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  • Feb 26, 2021

    Biden expands federal unemployment aid eligibility

    Federal unemployment aid eligibility is being expanded to three additional categories of workers.
    Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

    There’s some fine print that could help people with job trouble during the pandemic. Plus, the latest readings on consumer spending, household incomes and inflation. Also, subsidies for lower-income Americans to get better internet access. And, with Democrats ascendant in Washington, could there be some national deregulation of marijuana?

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  • Feb 26, 2021

    Selling Amazon rainforest illegally on Facebook Marketplace

    Some people selling land stolen from indigenous communities admit they don't have proof of ownership documents.
    BBC News

    Hundreds of people are offering land stolen from indigenous communities. Some sellers admit they don’t even have proof of ownership documents. Plus, worries about higher inflation and interest rates have driven down stock markets worldwide. And, are gadgets the best way to get a good night’s sleep?

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  • Feb 26, 2021

    Is it wrong to miss a store?

    "It was this magical wonderland where pretty much everything with a power cord was on sale," said Parker Hall, a product reviewer for Wired.
    David McNew/Newsmakers

    What these disappearing features of the American landscape mean to us. And, Texas weather may be back in the mid-70s, but the people there are still dealing with effects of the deep freeze, including interruptions at grocery stores.

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  • Feb 25, 2021

    What if you could test for COVID at home for $5?

    They're known as rapid antigen tests. Right now there is no cheap, at-home version available in the United States without a prescription, but several applications are in the queue before the FDA. Pictured: A rapid antigen test in Spain.
    Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images

    Other countries have wider access to cheap, easy, at-home COVID tests. Will more people in the U.S. see that soon? Plus, the state of unemployment claims in the U.S. after the winter storms last week. And, Biden’s stamp on the United States Postal Service.

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  • Feb 25, 2021

    China claims it’s eliminated extreme rural poverty

    A new eight-part podcast series from The Economist explores Xi Jinping's rise to power. Xi has reinforced the Communist Party's central role in all aspects of Chinese life, says Economist Editor-in-Chief Zanny Minton Beddoes.
    Noel Celis-Pool/Getty Images

    State media credited President Xi Jinping’s leadership with lifting nearly 100 million people from absolute destitution. But, there has been some debate over how to define “extreme poverty.” Also, competition is heating up in China’s budget electric car market. And, India probes dozens of money lending apps.

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  • Feb 25, 2021

    A closer look at U.S. reliance on overseas supply chains

    President Joe Biden holds a semiconductor during his remarks before signing an executive order on the economy at the White House on Feb. 24, 2021 in Washington.
    Doug Mills/Pool/Getty Images

    President Joe Biden’s executive order to review supply chains will include everything from semiconductor chips to personal protective equipment. Plus, new evidence of the toll stress takes on teachers, and how it’s gotten worse during the pandemic. And, just over half of American adults have more money saved for an emergency than they do credit card debt. That is actually an improvement.

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Jonathan Frewin